A plan to build a new high-tech stadium for the Denver Broncos football team will almost certainly pick up steam depending upon who ends up owning the team.
A high-stakes contest is currently underway seeing several wealthy businessmen competing to buy the team. But one of the candidates, Rob Walton, the former chairman of Walmart, has let it be known that he wants to build a new stadium for the team.
Currently the Broncos play in the Empower Field at Mile High, which was opened in 2001 and is located at 1701 Bryant Street.
That stadium has a seating capacity of just over 76,100, and has several times undergone multi-million-dollar improvements, with one in 2012 carrying a $30 million price tag.
But city officials and football fans have for years talked about the need for a more modern stadium, and one with a retractable roof.
A report published earlier this year said that it would cost at least $2 billion to build a new facility. Other estimates have suggested that with inflation and supply chain issues, the cost could actually be in excess of that figure.
Such costs would not be a problem for Walton, who has an estimated personal net worth of $63 billion, putting him in the top twenty list of the richest people in the world.
In February, the Pat Bowlen Trust, which owns the Broncos, announced it was selling the team. Although what the team will finally fetch is currently unknown, Forbes magazine last summer valued the Broncos at $3.7 million.
Besides Walton, Josh Harris, the owner of the Philadelphia 76s, is said to be interested in purchasing the Broncos. According to report, basketball legend Magic Johnson has joined with Harris in his bid.
Some sources are giving Walton the edge in the bidding due to the fact that he already owns property in Colorado. It has also been noted that there are currently more than 200 Walmart stores in the Centennial State, employing upwards of 31,000 people.
By Garry Boulard
